1.  1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

2. Entrance of the Promised Land The Believers Promised Land

3. I. Following the Lord’s Instructions  Joshua’s call to leadership 1:1-9 ●Be strong and courageous ●Continually study the book of instruction ▪Meditate day and night ▪Be careful to obey ●Then you will prosper and succeed  Joshua’s call to leadership 1:1-9 ●Be strong and courageous ●Continually study the book of instruction ▪Meditate day and night ▪Be careful to obey ●Then you will prosper and succeed

4.  Two spies instructed to scout out the land (2)

5. ●House of Rahab

6. ●People of Canaan living in terror ●Kindness to Rahab in exchange for help ●The scarlet rope  The report ●The Lord has given us the whole land for the people are terrified of us ●People of Canaan living in terror ●Kindness to Rahab in exchange for help ●The scarlet rope  The report ●The Lord has given us the whole land for the people are terrified of us

7.  Crossing of the Jordan River (3:14-4:7) ●Priests lead with the ark of the covenant  Crossing of the Jordan River (3:14-4:7) ●Priests lead with the ark of the covenant

8. ●Step into the Jordan river – the flow upstream cut off ●People pass through on dry ground ●(4:21-5:1) Twelve-stone memorial established for future generations ●A tribute to the powerful hand of God ●Canaanites lost heart and paralyzed with fear ●Step into the Jordan river – the flow upstream cut off ●People pass through on dry ground ●(4:21-5:1) Twelve-stone memorial established for future generations ●A tribute to the powerful hand of God ●Canaanites lost heart and paralyzed with fear

9.  Consecration and Circumcision (5:9-12) ●Rolled away the shame of slavery in Egypt ●Celebration of Passover ●No more Manna – eating of the crops of the land  Consecration and Circumcision (5:9-12) ●Rolled away the shame of slavery in Egypt ●Celebration of Passover ●No more Manna – eating of the crops of the land

10.  (5:13-15) Joshua instructed by the Commander of the Lord’s Army

11. II. The Fall of Jericho (6:1-5)  Battle plan

12. ●Priests walk ahead of the Ark with rams horns

13. ●Fighting men and priests walk around Jericho once each day for six days ●Marching in the presence of the Lord in silence ●Fighting men and priests walk around Jericho once each day for six days ●Marching in the presence of the Lord in silence

14. ●(6:15-23) ●Seventh day march around seven times and blast the rams horns ●All the people shouted ●The walls of Jericho collapsed ●(6:15-23) ●Seventh day march around seven times and blast the rams horns ●All the people shouted ●The walls of Jericho collapsed

15. ●All the people destroyed with the exception of Rahab and family ●The Lord was with Joshua and his reputation spread throughout the land ●All the people destroyed with the exception of Rahab and family ●The Lord was with Joshua and his reputation spread throughout the land

16.  Psalms 105:8 - 11 8He always stands by his covenant—the commitment he made to a thousand generations. 9This is the covenant he made with Abraham and the oath he swore to Isaac. 10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: 11“I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession. (NASB – Inheritance)”

17. III. Overcoming Obstacles to Entrance and Possession  Entrance ●A bad previous report – overcome by observation and faith in the word of God ●A flooded river – overcome by the strong arm of the Lord on behalf of His people  Beginnings of Possession ●A fortified city – overcome by knowing what is promised and obedience to the Lord’s direction  Entrance ●A bad previous report – overcome by observation and faith in the word of God ●A flooded river – overcome by the strong arm of the Lord on behalf of His people  Beginnings of Possession ●A fortified city – overcome by knowing what is promised and obedience to the Lord’s direction

18.  Believers Promised Land ●Obstacles to entrance ▪Bad report – the condemnation of the accuser of the brethren, the devil ▪Flooded river – the gap between our sin and God’s righteousness ▪Overcome by observation, by faith in the word of God, and by the strong arm of the Lord ●Obstacles to Possession ▪Fortified cities – strongholds, overcome by knowing what belongs to you and obedience to the direction of the Lord  Believers Promised Land ●Obstacles to entrance ▪Bad report – the condemnation of the accuser of the brethren, the devil ▪Flooded river – the gap between our sin and God’s righteousness ▪Overcome by observation, by faith in the word of God, and by the strong arm of the Lord ●Obstacles to Possession ▪Fortified cities – strongholds, overcome by knowing what belongs to you and obedience to the direction of the Lord

19. IV. The Rahab Redemption  Hebrews 11:31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

22.  James 2:25 - 26 25Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

23.  What about the spies going into the house of a prostitute?  What about Rahab’s lies  What about the spies going into the house of a prostitute?  What about Rahab’s lies

24.  Matthew 1:1,5 1This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: 5Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.

25.  Rahab – from prostitute to example of faith to being seen fit to be in the ancestry of Jesus

26.  Redeemed from and redeemed unto ●Mary was the mother of Jesus ●Rahab was in the lineage of Jesus ●Many would disqualify themselves as not being pure enough like the Mary the virgin ●Hope restored when you see the Lord’s work through Rahab the prostitute  Redeemed from and redeemed unto ●Mary was the mother of Jesus ●Rahab was in the lineage of Jesus ●Many would disqualify themselves as not being pure enough like the Mary the virgin ●Hope restored when you see the Lord’s work through Rahab the prostitute

27. Reflection Time  If success is dependent upon meditation and obedience to the Word of God, what gets in your way of that discipline?  Have you accessed the crossing of the gap between your sin and God’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) to enter into the kingdom of God, your promised land?  Many would disqualify themselves as not being pure enough to be used by God but when you see the Lord’s work through Rahab the prostitute, what would prevent him from using you?  If success is dependent upon meditation and obedience to the Word of God, what gets in your way of that discipline?  Have you accessed the crossing of the gap between your sin and God’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) to enter into the kingdom of God, your promised land?  Many would disqualify themselves as not being pure enough to be used by God but when you see the Lord’s work through Rahab the prostitute, what would prevent him from using you?